Nativity! The Musical – Birmingham Repertory Theatre

Ben Lancaster,  Billy Roberts and the children of St Bernadettes in Nativity! The Musical at Birmingham Repertory Theatre. Picture: Pamela Raith

Nativity! The Musical continues at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre until 7 January 2023.

Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

We’re fast approaching that time of year again where sprouts suddenly become popular, credit card companies wring their hands with glee and Mariah Carey gets her sparkly dresses out of storage. Theatres across the country fill their stages with pantomimes to entertain audiences, but for audiences who aren’t keen on those and who don’t fancy 87 versions of A Christmas Carol, theatrical choices can feel a bit limited at this time of year. Luckily, the Birmingham Repertory Theatre has just the ticket, with its seasonal production of Nativity! The Musical, opening this week and ready to knock your baubles off with a Santa-sack full of Christmas cheer.

Based on the 2009 film, Nativity! The Musical tells the story of the children of St Bernadette’s school in Coventry, and their seasonally-depressed teacher Mr Maddens (Billy Roberts), who hates this time of year because his girlfriend Jennifer (Daisy Steere) has left him to become a producer in Hollywood. Mr Maddens’ recent production of the school’s nativity play also got publicly slated by critic Patrick Burns (Jamie Chapman), so he tries to actively avoid anything to do with Christmas as much as he can.

However, headteacher Mrs Bevan (Jemma Churchill) puts him in charge of this year’s production, needing something to bring some interest back to the school. She enlists her nephew Mr Poppy (Ben Lancaster) to help Mr Maddens with the production as his teaching assistant, a man who’s at the same level of emotional maturity as the schoolchildren, and soon Mr Maddens is at the end of his rope. An exasperated white lie around the school nativity soon turns into a huge problem as things get out of hand, and threaten the future of St Bernadette’s and the happiness of everyone involved.

For anyone not yet feeling that Christmas spirit, Nativity! The Musical is just the show to inspire it, with enough sparkle, tinsel, laughter and heart to put a smile on even the grumpiest face. The show is pure joy, wittily written, vibrant to look at and gives us likeable characters to invest in.

Dynamically directed by Debbie Isitt (who also wrote the show), it zips along at a swift pace, rarely lulling aside from the occasional sappy ballad, but largely it remains constantly engaging throughout. This is helped by a genuinely funny script, liberally peppered with jokes for small and big kids alike, and clearly rewritten very recently to include timely references to the short-lived term of Liz Truss and the jungle habits of Matt Hancock.

The rivalry between St Bernadette’s and Oakmoor Prep is a lot of fun, and allows for some great scenes along with a very knowing nod to Jesus Christ Superstar which theatre fans will enjoy. Isitt’s songs are mostly strong, especially the ensemble ones and anything for the children, with the final Nativity stretch being consistently brilliant. The production is a delight to look at, with David Woodhead’s design full of bright colour, festive glitter and some clever set pieces and transitions.

Nativity! The Musical boasts an enormous cast of children (and a dog), and it’s fair to say there will be a lot of proud mums and dads watching their little superstars “sparkle & shine” on that stage. The children’s performances are adorable, full of enthusiasm, and wonderfully charming. They help to give the show the same energy and feel as Matilda, and are a joy to watch.  The adults are great too, with Roberts and Lancaster well cast in their roles as the mis-matched teachers with opposing personalities who learn to become friends. Lancaster in particular excels (having the more fun material to play) and has boundless childlike energy which is hugely infectious.

Uplifting, joyous, heartfelt and festively entertaining, Nativity! The Musical feels like a present from Santa himself, and one that would make even The Grinch himself sit back and smile. The world needs as much Christmas cheer as it can get right now, and Nativity! The Musical brings it by the sleigh-full. Round up your elves, and enjoy.

Rob Bartley